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Jordy Nelson

The WR prospect out of Kansas State has been flying under the radar, but last week we noted the Skins mounting interest in him and how impressive he was during his visit to Redskins Park. Well, according to team sources, the Redskins contingent of 10-odd people - including owner Dan Snyder - also worked him out yesterday.

After leaving Clemson and flying to Oklahoma for the Merling and Kelly workouts, the Skins then flew to Kansas and did the drill with Nelson. Kelly has been sliding down draft boards and his times have been slow. There are some worries from some teams about character.

I'm working on a bigger breakdown of the draft based on the Skins need positions that I'll post before heading to Comcast for Wash Post Live.

Nelson could be a great value pick in the second round. Not sure he'll be around in the third round.

WR is a position of particular import to Snyder. You often hear about he miffed he was the team passed on Santana Moss in the draft - a player he wanted - and he was very high on Calvin Johnson and Braylon Edwards the past few years, mulling trading up for them. Last year, team sources said Snyder was very interested in taking Ted Ginn with the sixth-overall pick, and now with Joe Gibbs gone it will quite interesting to see what the Skins at 21, assuming they even make the pick.

To me, Phillip Merling is the guy I take there assuming the board comes out as expected, and then you turn around and get Nelson or Kelly in the second round, because at least of them will probably be there.

REDSKINS LOOK AT JORDY NELSON
Posted by Michael David Smith on April 25, 2008, 1:27 p.m.
It has been widely reported that the Washington Redskins' top front office personnel worked out Clemson defensive end Phillip Merling and Oklahoma wide receiver Malcolm Kelly yesterday, but a league source tells PFT that the Redskins weren't done after visiting those two.

Per the source, team owner Daniel Snyder, vice president for football operations Vinny Cerrato and head coach Jim Zorn also conducted a private workout with Kansas State wide receiver Jordy Nelson. Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell made the trip to throw passes to Nelson.

Nelson has previously told the Manhattan (Kansas) Mercury that the Redskins told him they're interested when he visited their facilities.

"They just said they were interested and wanted to see how I might fit in with their team," Nelson said last week of visiting the Redskins. "I went out to eat with the owner, head coach and position coach, toured the facility, and met some of the players. They just wanted to find out what kind of person I am."

Nelson had a 10-catch, 137-yard game against Kansas last season, repeatedly beating cornerback Aqib Talib, who is projected as a first-round pick. Nelson told the Mercury last week that he thinks he'll be a second- or third-round pick

Not only has Jordy been flying under the radar, he's also been flying starships. The guy has many skills. If he could paint, I'd say take him.

Is anyone else as completely ambivalent about this as me? I know I'm supposed to be positive and all, but I just can't help but feeling that the Three Blind Mice of Snyder, Cerrato, and Zorn are going to just stumble around for a couple of seasons.

Oh well, if I wear my Cooley jersey and drink heavily during the games, it'll all be fine.

I'd be fine with taking him with our 2nd (as it stands), but if we're going to have to move up and sacrifice an extra pick anyway, I would rather hope for the Bengals to pull the trigger with the Johnson offer (and there's no doubt in my mind that if they don't get any higher bidders on draft day, they will pull the trigger). If we're going for a 2 for 1 deal, we might as well get a proven bona fide star rather than a project. I'm not at all in favor of moving up in drafts, unless you're moving up to get a "consensus" top pick. Nelson doesn't fit that bill.

If the Eagles don't get a WR in the first, I bet they grab Nelson in the second. And rumor has it that they trade Lito to the Bucs for a second and would have two second round picks. That means if they really want him, they would definately have to trade up. I really like this guy, but our needs are the same as Philly and I see the Skins having to "compete" against the Eagles in this years draft.

There's no point in hoping for anything other than the Danny selling the team. Unfortunately, I think we're cursed with him for the next few decades. I don't plan on watching the draft for the first time in many years because I can't take the pain. It'll be much easier to stand hearing what boneheaded move we make secondhand.

I think that if Merling or Sweed is not there in the first, it would not be crazy to reach for Nelson (if we can not trade down). Maybe OL Gosder Cherilous would be an option, but not Kelly. If they do grab Kelly, the positive is his height, hands, leaping ability, and ran a WC type offense already.

i dont understand why people are turned off by kelly's speed, he is going to be a possession receiver, moss and randle el are our speedy guys, kelly does have character issues though, i agree with whoever said draft a DE in the 1st round and nelson in the 2nd

we already have a slow possession "receiver". his name is chris cooley. what we want is an all-encompassing receiver. they're not easy to find, but that's why there's so much stock put into the draft. kelly's speed seems to be an issue with that "total package" aspect.

But it got me thinking about Zorn and the unavoidable 3rd and 5 situations we'll be in. Any predictions or theories on Zorn and how he'll approach it? As long as JC isn't throwing 5 yard outs on 3rd and 10, I'm game.

I'm not a huge fan of basing his speed on 40 time. There is a difference between speed on a track and speed on the field. Gary Clark was a 4.6 40 guy, but he was one of the best deep threats in the game because he was fast in pads and ran great routes. I still don't like taking a receiver in the first round, though. The postition seems deep enough that you can fill another need early, then pick up a WR in rounds 2 or 3.

I read somewhere that in Seattle Zorn was in charge of play calling for 3rd and long situations. I don't know if that answers your question, but at least we could watch film to see how he'll handle it.

I really hope we get Nelson in the 2nd. Pick up Merling or Albert in the 1st, then wait to see which receiver falls. Nelson reminds me of Cooley, not the fastest guy in the world but a hard worker who will sell out every play. We need more guys like that.

Oh God forbid they would have drafted Ted "Can you say Desmond Howard" Ginn Jr. over LaRon Landry. That is the ultimate proof as to why Snyder should be locked up in St. Elizabeth for the day of the draft. God help us Saturday.

I know someone who worked very close to snyder during last years draft and he said the gibbs wanted landry and cerrato wanted the small de(cant remember his name I think he went to the bucs), and snyder was pushing hard for ginn, but in the end gibbs won that, but who knows whats going to happen now.

Another scenario occurs to me. Perhaps they take Merling or Mayo in the 1st, and then trade up in the 2nd to make sure they get Nelson. Maybe they give up the 3rd to trade up. It would be similar to the way they traded up to get Cooley or McIntosh. It's a tactic that says, once you've zeroed in on who you want do what you have to to get him.

"The things he has said about winning playoff games and winning, those are our goals. If you take the money issues out of it, I think you have to own up to it and do it. Hopefully, he'll do what Kobe Bryant did this year and come back and be very competitive and have an accomplished season." - Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, on unhappy wide receiver Chad Johnson. *

Guys can we take a second from obsessing about the Draft and address a real problem in America. One that I have deemed an Epidemic since 2002 when I began hearing many cases of BF/Husbands NOT having sex with their signifigant others...well now new research backs up my anecdotal diagnosis of this desperate situation.

The Redskins will draft Merling at 21 and then they'll trade up with the Jets at 2-5 and take Jordy. The trade will be in exchange for the Redskins 2-20 and 3-21. After which the team will draft an O-Lineman like Tony Hills with the comp pick.

Q:The Redskins have taken a sane, cautious approach to the offseason. Can it continue?

A:Yes, Dan Snyder really has learned from past mistakes and he's stayed clear of making big splashes. That's wise because the Redskins were 9-7 a year ago and just need to plug a few holes on the offensive line and at linebacker and safety to remain a playoff team. Snyder's made it this far without getting greedy and he needs to stick to his plan.

Hey ChrisLarry,
I have not yet looked at the link you provided.
But I will share this w/ you.
About 5 years ago a friend asked me what I thought a major cause of divorce was and I told him then, "Night time TV watching".

My friend said he had never thought of it that way, and then agreed w/ me.